Need To Save Crumbling Buildings? Just Use LEGO!

Courtesy of Jan Vormann

Artist Jan Vormann has spent 10 years exploring the world, visiting roughly 40 cities across Europe, Central America, Asia, and the United States, while making and installing LEGO masonry interventions to city walls and buildings in moderate disrepair. His ongoing project, Dispatchwork, started making these colorful toy-block repairs and additions — some using only a handful of LEGO bricks while some installations use up to 20 pounds of LEGO bricks — in Bocchignano, Italy, and later expanded to Tel Aviv and Berlin.

A post shared by dispatchwork (@dispatchwork) on Feb 13, 2017 at 1:12pm PST

Vormann describes Dispatchwork as a method of taking back public spaces by creating a playful atmosphere, so it appears that the LEGO patchwork is intended to be permanent, rather than a call to be eventually replaced by real brick and mortar (which, of course, has been done in some places). He strongly advocates the general public to take it upon themselves to contribute to Dispatchwork, aligning with the playful and lofty mission of the work.

According to parts of Dispatchwork’s mission statement:

“Dispatchwork aims at childhood-memories in abstract shapes and vivid colors, towards a global collaboration of persons unknown to each other. This project is made for all those who identify as one of the others and embrace transitoriness. Persons who like to share their time playfully and don’t mind when the unglued structures slowly ‘dissolve’ (friendly to our environment) back into kids toyboxes”

“While overcoming national borders, this is a Forum to further develop, piece by piece, a global game together. A handful used bricks of whichever brand is plenty, and enough to submit a contribution. Because nobody enjoys living in dull cities and not only kids can imagine the world more colorful!”